


flower in the shattered mirror

by Makkakaus



Series: Makka's SI OC fics [2]
Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Kyouka just wants to potato, SI as Aizen's illegitimate daughter, Seireitei High Society, Seireitei Politics, Self-Indulgent, Self-Insert, Tags to be updated with future chapters, a little bit of Byakuya/oc, the Gin/oc is gonna take a bit to happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:09:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25664911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Makkakaus/pseuds/Makkakaus
Summary: She is born into the Oborozuki noble family, just a step down from the five great noble families (five, not four, Shiba Kaien has not died yet at this time). She is named Kyouka after her ancestor, a fittingly fleeting and insubstantial yet heavy name for an Oborozuki, or so she is told.She considers the kanji used for her name, her brown hair (several shades too dark for an Oborozuki), her mother's disdain, her father's sharp disinterest, and the 5th division lieutenant's interest in her, and concludes that her life is not likely to be very pleasant or very long, but damn if she isn't going to try her best to take that scheming bastard down with her.SI OC as Aizen's illegitimate daughter.
Relationships: Ichimaru Gin/Original Character(s)
Series: Makka's SI OC fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860904
Comments: 17
Kudos: 106





	flower in the shattered mirror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it down and then it started breeding. I promise I'm still working on TPoSI, I'm just waiting for my boxed sets to arrive.

The Oborozuki's red eyes are one of their defining features, along with ephemeral and insubstantial yet heavily poetic names (Murakumo, Yuugiri, Usugumo, and so on). The deeper and more saturated the red, the stronger the bloodline. Kyouka's eyes are a shining crimson, fine-cut rubies, fresh blood crystallized within her irises. It's what holds the nastier rumours at bay despite her brown hair, far too dark for an Oborozuki; what allows her mother Oborozuki Kasumi to remain within the clan instead of being dropped off in Rukongai with nothing more than the clothes on her back. The Oborozuki, for all their wispy names and refusal to commit to political sides, cling to their blood fiercely.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it is those eyes that chain Oborozuki Kasumi down, in more ways than one.

Kyouka is told that she is named after their ancestor, one of the founders of Oborozuki. She is told that it is a great honor to be named as such, that it was only allowed because her mother is a direct descendant and a member of the main branch, that her mother's son will be the next clan head. The tutor that tells her this also wears an expression like she's smelled something nasty.

Kyouka isn't bothered by those looks anymore. Everyone who is not an indentured servant looks at her that way, except for Kasumi and Oborozuki Shinonome, the man who is legally her father, who do not look at her at all, and Kasumi and Shinonome's son Akatsuki who seems to mistakenly believe that Kyouka is his actual mother with the way he looks to her for approval instead of Kasumi. Akatsuki is a ball of sunshine and smiles, so Kyouka doesn't mind. They will have problems if he keeps this up, but Kasumi will step in before it can affect Akatsuki's standing in the clan.

The looks had been confusing for her, then hurtful, but after ten decades of it they're now just another backdrop in her life. She would be far more wary if they _stopped_ looking at her that way.

It's still annoying. She wishes they would take a page out of Shinonome's book in his treatment of her. He does not look at her, does not speak to her unless it is to order something that only he can order, and so long as she does not get in his way, he leaves her alone do to as she pleases. Some days she contemplates how much easier it is to deal with him than with the rest of the clan, Kasumi included, and wonders if he actually does care or feels pity for her and is doing what he can to make her life easier without jeopardizing his own standing within the clan.

"Nee-sama!" Akatsuki yells, crashing into her side and disrupting her dinnertime musings. She's impressed that he always manages to find her.

She's currently sitting on a rock in the forest grounds behind the main clan compound with a boxed lunch; meals go by smoother and the servants are less stressed when she is not present for them, so she requests her dinner in a box with some soup and water and eats separately. Once Akatsuki had started to do the same, she'd made a halfhearted attempt to hide, only to discover how good he was at finding people. It's now an unspoken game between them, Kyouka suppressing her reiatsu and finding increasingly creative places to hide and eat lunch and Akatsuki always finding her. He'll make a fantastic scout if he becomes a shinigami.

Truthfully, she enjoys their meals together. It's a pleasant change to eating alone (Akatsuki cannot ditch family dinner _every_ day, Kasumi had put her foot down right away on that), Akatsuki's cheer is infectious, and it pisses off the clan elders who despise how much influence their resident disgrace has over their heir.

"Nee-sama, what did you do at the academy today?" Despite the fact that they are perched on uneven rocks, their lunches balances precariously on their knees, they maintain perfect manners while they eat, having been drilled into them with the threat of a very painful branch on their knuckles courtesy of Kasumi. It frustrates the woman to no end that her prodigious son can and will learn anything she and his tutors throw at him with ease, table manners included, but choose to use them only when he feels like it, acting the childish fool most of the time instead.

"The usual history and arithmetic-" Akatsuki makes a face; they're already tutored in such things as a noble family, he can only imagine how boring it must be for her to sit through those lessons _again_ \- "and we began kido practice, which was… mildly more interesting." It's true; _doing_ something she already knows how to do is mildly less mind-numbing than _listening_ to something she already knows.

Akatsuki laughs at her expression. "Why don't you just move a couple years up? Or get into first class?"

Kyouka raises an eyebrow. "And have more work to do?"

"Point." Both of them are more than competent and can be very responsible when the situation calls for it, but both also prefer to simply spend the evening napping away. Akatsuki is less fortunate than Kyouka in this, forced to sit through a steadily increasing amount of lessons and lectures arranged by Kasumi, determined to mold her son into so perfect an heir that his legitimacy and suitability - and thus her own place in the clan - can never be questioned, never mind that it was never Akatsuki's standing but only ever her own at risk, and _that_ is something she brought onto herself. She also doesn't seem to realize that her overt desperation is actually what is putting doubt on Akatsuki's standing, if anything.

Then again, given the circumstances of Kyouka's birth, she supposes Kasumi's thought process has never been the most thorough. The woman can come up with the framework of an excellent plan, but will fail to incorporate many factors or risks, resulting in something worse than if she'd just left the whole thing alone.

After all, Kyouka still cannot understand Kasumi's logic that seducing an academy student originating from Rukongai would have gotten the woman out from under the Oborozuki. Instead, the woman had ended up confined to the compound for a decade, marriage immediately arranged to the most suitable and available man, a fortune spent on bribing that man's family, the main branch now in debt to one of the factions among the clan elders. If she wasn't the only daughter of the current clan head Murakumo she would have been exiled or executed right away.

It's if nothing else fitting in it's poetic irony, something that all Oborozuki can appreciate. Oborozuki Kasumi made a desperate gamble in an attempt to leave the Oborozuki, and as a result she will never be allowed to. She now spends her days clawing at the status she once shunned and tried to throw away. 

Akatsuki breaks her out of her musings once more. "Did you beat that other guy, what's his name, Gen, yet?"

"Gin," Kyouka corrects, "Ichimaru Gin. And no." She scowls and shoves a piece of karaage into her mouth.

Kyouka accepts being painted as mediocre and painfully average by her peers and her teachers in everything but zanjutsu, where she takes the opportunity to beat her frustrations out on her classmates while being fully sanctioned to do so. She has even been moved up a few years and classes in that subject alone, which she doesn't mind because zanjutsu class does not assign homework. She had held her position as top of that class with the satisfaction of a lazy but self-assured cat that knows it is the king of the alley.

That is, she _had_ , until Ichimaru Gin had showed up and dethroned her while making it look like an accident. She would not have been convinced by his act even if they had not continued to have many accidents.

The teachers, relieved to have someone that can keep Kyouka in check, always pair the two of them up, and Kyouka _always_ loses.

But the loss isn't what upsets her. She wouldn't mind it if they fought proper battles and she lost. But Ichimaru Gin does not even give her the benefit of losing graciously. He tugs her along on his puppet strings, and when she loses, it always looks as though it was a lucky coincidence on Ichimaru's side, or a rookie mistake on Kyouka's side. Except it's what happens _every single class,_ and her classmates may be dim light bulbs but they are not _broken_ light bulbs so of course everyone knows what's actually going on.

(At least she hasn't been demoted from that class. They'd tried, once, and decided not to do so again when she'd left a trail of broken bones and shattered pride on her way back up.)

No, Ichimaru takes joy in showing her just how outclassed she is, and _that_ is what she cannot stand, what stops her from taking the high road and not reacting to his bait, what keeps her determined to _pound that bastard's face into the ground_. She never succeeds, but damn if she doesn't try her very hardest anyways.

"Aww." Akatsuki puts away his finished lunch and leans over to hug his sister. "You're still the strongest sister to me, though!"

"I'm the _only_ sister you have." Kyouka smiles anyways and feeds the boy a piece of karaage, what he was aiming for.

It's precisely because her life is so horrible sometimes that she needs to make sure she enjoys it when she can.

* * *

Kyouka is not told about the circumstances of her birth, but she can guess at them from what she is told and what is left out.

Oborozuki Shinonome is not her father by blood; that much is obvious. The man has the classic silver-blonde moonlight-on-lakewater hair that her mother also has, while her own hair is caramel brown.

Kasumi names her Kyouka, written with the kanji for flower in the mirror. It's certainly an Oborozuki name, the kanji and the matching theme.

But.

Kyouka considers it all. Her very heavy and ancestrally important name, given to her, an illegitimate child. Her brown hair. The specific kanji chosen.

She wants to hope it's all a coincidence. Kyouka _is_ a very old and respectable name, taken from an old idiom in the form of a poem, and there are plenty of brown haired powerful shinigami that came from Rukongai.

She doubts she's that fortunate.

* * *

She's introduced to the Kuchiki clan heir's son at a tea ceremony, one that she is made to assist Akatsuki in hosting. She herself cannot host them, for she is a bastard child despite being fully acknowledged as an Oborozuki and having her serve the Kuchiki clan head and heir would be an insult beyond proportions. 

She _hates_ tea ceremonies. She doesn't mind making tea! Not one bit, though she still will not ever be used to the persistent mild bitter taste no matter the type, and will forever miss soft drinks. No, what she hates is the stiff formality of it all, and the silence. Eyes all trained on her as she grinds and stirs, judging everything from her choice of tea to her serving order, her hairstyle, the pattern on her kimono and another two dozen things not related to tea but not letting so much as an eyebrow twitch to indicate what they think.

Akatsuki thrives in it. It's a demonstration of art and of sense, performed live in front of guests. He adores every moment of it, and it's only his clear contentment that keeps her spirits up as she sits through the ordeal.

Today's tea ceremony is a bizarre blend of levels of formality, due to various factors such as Akatsuki's age, relative inexperience, the relative social status of the guests, and the purpose of their visit. It is technically a casual visit, meant to introduce the young heirs of the clans to each other to foster an early friendship, but _Kuchikiri-no-chaji_ , the most formal style of tea ceremony, is chosen in order for Akatsuki to display his competence and to show respect to the Kuchiki clan. The tin of tea Kasumi purchases for the occasion could have fed a Rukongai family of five for a month. 

There had been some contemplation of hosting an _Akatsuki-no-chaji_ for the symbolism of it, but it had been decided to save that for Akatsuki's birthday celebration instead, where there is slightly less need to defer to and acknowledge the social status of the guests.

However, hosting an entire Kuchikiri-no-chaji is still too much for Akatsuki, so despite customs dictating only one host, Kyouka will help him, taking the hybrid position of both a host and a guest as needed.

Of course, because Kasumi does nothing by halfs when Akatsuki is involved, it means she presses Akatsuki to prepare the chashitsu, the tea ceremony room, as well, by which she actually means for Kyouka to do the heavy lifting and Akatsuki to tell her where to arrange what. A tea ceremony is an experience and is as much about the decorative elements of the chashitsu as much as the tea itself. Akatsuki will have to be prepared to field many questions about everything from the choice of ikebana to the hanging scroll chosen for the entrance and the pottery selected for the dishes served, and Kyouka will not be allowed to answer for him.

By the time the morning of the arranged day arrives, Kasumi's fussing is getting on even Akatsuki's nerves. Shinonome, thankfully, has the sense to send his wife away on a visit to the Shiba clan with one of the elders.

"Do _not_ mess this up," Kasumi hisses before she leaves, but the woman needn't worry. Kyouka may not like tea ceremonies but she is more than competent at them, if only to spite her first instructor, aunt Niji, who had claimed that Kyouka would never be capable of hosting a Kuchikiri-no-chaji. Naturally, she'd practiced until her fingertips had almost grown callouses from all the whisking she'd done. 

Ah, spite. Embers of hate warms one up just as well as flames of love, not that she is lacking in either when Akatsuki is here.

The guests today are the honourable head of Kuchiki, Kuchiki Ginrei-dono, his son Soujun-sama, his daughter Ginka-hime, Soujun's wife Izana, and Soujun and Izana's son Byakuya.

"My mother sends her apologies for her absence," Ginka says, bowing shallowly. "I am here on her behalf."

"The Oborozuki thank Hanayo-dono for her consideration," Kyouka murmurs the appropriate response, bowing deeper. She leads them to the chashitsu, among murmurs of appreciation for the loquat trees currently in bloom. Once inside, the guests tuck away their items before heading back outside to the benches to admire the bonsai and the surrounding gardens.

Truthfully, Kyouka is relieved that Kuchiki Hanayo is absent. The Kuchiki matriarch is far more strict and difficult to please than all of their current guests combined. She leaves them to admire the scenery and enters the chashitsu to help Akatsuki with the finishing touches.

The guests are called back inside after the appropriate amount of time has passed to allow them to fully take in the gardens. Ginrei enters first, followed by Soujun, then Byakuya, as the main guest being entertained by the ceremony today. Ginka follows suite as a Kuchiki by blood, and Izana is the last to enter. The sharp thud of the door being closed is Akatsuki's cue, and the tea ceremonies proceeds.

A light wagashi and sakurayu are served first, which Byakuya seems to enjoy. The boy displays a good grasp of etiquette and in time will no doubt be the picture perfect noble that she remembers, but he has clearly been raised in a nurturing environment. What he displays of his body language is open and honest, not the measured glances and gestures that she and Akatsuki perform when in front of others. From the way Ginrei levels a look at her, he has notices that she has noticed. She drops her eyes, incredibly grateful now for the mandatory silence during most of the tea ceremony.

If there's one thing that she likes about tea ceremonies, it's that the entire thing is scripted from start to finish. What you say, how you say it, what topics are brought up and what the appropriate responses are; it's all laid out, perhaps not word for word, but close enough that she doesn't have to actually voice any of her own opinions or think _too_ deeply about what she's being asked and why they are asking it. Even better yet, as the co-host, she does not need to speak until spoken to.

Yet for some reason, Ginrei seems to be incredibly interested in her. He watches her throughout the affair but doesn't let slip as single tell to indicate what he thinks.

Ginka, taking the place of Hanayo who would have been in charge of leading the discussion after the tea, compliments the choice of pottery, to which Akatsuki praises her eye and sense and informs her of the make and discusses the symbolism of the painting on the dishes. Soujun comments on the painting hung up in the chashitsu and Akatsuki gives a brief history of the artist and the meaning behind the artistic choices that he understands. Izana, as a former member of a noble family ranked much lower than the Oborozuki who had married into the Kuchiki, does not speak at all unless directly addressed, but seems perfectly content with that. Kyouka sympathizes.

Finally after many hours the tea ceremony comes to a close, with the two youngest heirs having learned absolutely nothing of importance about each other. That will be for the next visit, and hopefully by then Akatsuki will not need an assistant.

Of course, because Kyouka seems to attract misfortune simply by breathing, the day that has so far gone by perfectly comes close to being ruined when Byakuya turns to her as they are leaving and says, "You associate with that new student, Ichimaru, a lot."

Soujun freezes mid-step and Izana actually lifts a hand to her forehead. Ginrei and Ginka's reiatsu flicker in amusement, though, so Kyouka isn't too worried.

"Out of necessity," Kyouka acquiesces. "Our sensei determined that we were best suited to spar with each other."

"You are in the 5th year zanjutsu class despite being in your third year, if I remember correctly," Soujun says hastily in an attempt to steer the conversation to safer grounds and end it. "A very impressive feat. I'm sure your sensei is very proud."

 _He's actually frightened of me after I took down half the class at once_ , Kyouka thinks, amused. Then again, it isn't like they're actually taught that much in the academy. Only the basics and muscle memory; actual combat experience is only had in 6th year field trips, internships with divisions, and after graduation. Kyouka has an active duty shinigami as a part-time home tutor, which gives her quite the unfair advantage.

It only makes it that much more frustrating when she loses to Ichimaru.

"Thank you for your kind words," Kyouka replies, lowering her eyes.

"But I see you with him in the library a lot," Byakuya continues, clearly thinking that now that the actual ceremony portion of the tea ceremony is over he is no longer bound to a script, and since he is Kuchiki and she is Oborozuki and only half at that, clearly he can say anything he wants to her so long as it's not an insult. Behind him, Ginrei gives Soujun a stare, who wilts slightly. The man knows he's far too lenient with his son.

She considers trying to explain her complicated relationship or lack thereof with her zanjutsu classmate to the snotty brat, then remembers that she doesn't have to explain her personal relationships to him at all. 

"Yes," she replies simply. Byakuya frowns, clearly having expected more. He'll have to actually ask a question if he wants an answer, not that she'd give it to him. He's overstepped. The only reason Akatsuki hasn't intervened yet is because he must find the situation amusing, and now that the ceremony is over she technically has seniority unless he invokes his position as heir. High society hierarchies are confusing.

"He's- he's not very nice," Byakuya hedges.

"Byakuya!" Soujun finally speaks up.

"It's true!"

"Indeed," Kyouka agrees, taking out a fan to hide her smile when Byakuya frowns again. This has turned from annoying to amusing. No doubt it would be terrifying if Kuchiki Hanayo were present, but despite his steely stare at his heir's son, the Ginrei-dono's reiatsu remains distantly amused.

"You- you shouldn't associate with him," Byakuya says finally, and _that_ causes a reaction.

"Enough, Byakuya," Soujun says firmly, pulling his son back. "That was very rude. Kyouka-san, I apologize for my son's behavior. He has no right to tell you who to associate with." He bows, and Kyouka hides a grimace behind her fan. She bows, being sure to match his and go even lower.

"Not at all, Kuchiki-sama. His concern for me is very much appreciated."

"Father!" Byakuya complains, only to be pinched sharply by his mother.

"Behave," Izana says, quietly but firmly. Byakuya grumbles but settles at his mother's side.

"You performed a splendid _chaji_ , young Akatsuki," Ginrei says, finally stepping up to rescue what's left of his family's dignity. "Byakuya will have much to learn from you. It would very much please me if you could be his acquaintance."

"I shall direct my your praise to my parents and tutors who instructed me," Akatsuki replies, giving a bow as the Kuchiki family finally leave the clan compound.

Once they are out of sight, he turns to jump on Kyouka's back, grumbling. "That was fun, but I'm exhausted now," he whines.

Kyouka snorts and carries him back to his room.

* * *

"Ah heard some interesting rumours 'bout ya, Kyouka-chan," the familiar voice whispers into her ear, making her jump.

"Don't _do_ that," she snaps, rubbing her ear. Letting Ichimaru find out that her ears are a sensitive spot is one of the worst mistakes of her current life. Combined with his ability to nearly completely suppress his reiatsu, he's gained the ability to sneak up on her in nearly any situation. She would be impressed if _she_ wasn't always his target.

Ichimaru snickers as she takes a seat beside her to peer at her work. "Yer matrix is off on that corner.

She resists the urge to stick her tongue out at him. She knows from experience he's not above grabbing it to make a point. Instead, she grabs a new piece of paper to start over.

"So, when's th' wedding?" Ichimaru asks, setting his head down on his arms on the table.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she replies flatly, knowing very well what he's referring to.

Kuchiki Byakuya is _interested_ in her.

Not romantically, no. That would be so much easier to deal with.

She'd hoped she'd been mistaken. He had started out the tea ceremony appropriately interested in the furnishings and in Akatsuki, whom he was expected to maintain a connection with. But as the ceremony had dragged on, she'd noticed him glancing at her more and more, until the near-disastrous conversation just before they'd left.

She'd thought that would have been the end of it, but clearly Kuchiki Soujun had learned nothing. Byakuya is now visiting her all the time. He uses Akatsuki as an excuse to visit the Oborozuki clan compound, and Akatsuki, the dirty little traitor, finds it amusing so he chaperones the visits and refrains from informing Kasumi that Byakuya spends most of his visits talking to her instead of him.

And then the other day, he had visited her at the academy. He didn't even go to the academy! Like Akatsuki, the heirs of high ranking noble families were largely home-schooled until the final year where they were put into the 6th year classes merely for the formality of the internships and whatnot.

Ichimaru grins. "Yer the most un-noble noble in all o' Soul Society and he's the most noble-like noble ta walk Seireitei. How'dya get _his_ attention of all people?"

 _It's because of you,_ Kyouka thinks grumpily. For some reason, perhaps because they appear to be similar in age, Byakuya considers Ichimaru public enemy number one, and considers Kyouka to be a proper noble, and so considers it his duty to inform Kyouka repeatedly of Ichimaru's deficiencies.

"I wouldn't know," she sighs instead of explaining. "I wish he'd leave me alone." She regrets the words as soon as they come out of her mouth, because it's an admission of weakness that Ichimaru won't let go.

"That can be arranged," Ichimaru purrs instead.

She pauses. Considers him, then considers Byakuya. Has he truly annoyed her enough to the point of deserving to have Ichimaru Gin inflicted on him? He's mostly harmless. It _would_ be poetic justice, though.

"Don't involve yourself in noble matters," she says finally. "It's not worth the trouble you'd get into. The prince may not notice, but his grandfather will." That's enough to give Ichimaru pause, as it should. Kuchiki Ginrei is all kinds of dangerous. "Besides," she continues. "You'll be busy soon."

Ichimaru will be moving up to the 6th year shortly, his already lightning-fast schedule being accelerated even further to allow him to graduate by the end of the school year and join the 5th division. There's talk of him getting a seated position already, though all of the current spots are filled, and Kyouka remembers now that the boy sitting beside her teasing her playfully is going to commit murder in cold blood in a few months in order to advance his own goals.

She sighs again. Why can't things be as easy and simple as they were when everyone hated her for existing and left her alone?

* * *

Byakuya continues his attempts at interaction, which leaves Kyouka wondering if the boy has any sort of interaction with other girls her age that are not in a service position. It doesn't even occur to him that he needs a chaperone if he's to visit, though that may be more than he doesn't see her as a girl first and foremost when he thinks of her.

It's very sweet that he's so passionate about his clan's role in protecting the history of Soul Society, but he seems to earnestly believe in the talk of honor and pride as a noble family and it's enough to put her off her meal. Thankfully, Akatsuki arranges it so that he only visits after dinner.

"You're still a proper Oborozuki no matter what," Byakuya says firmly during yet another visit, "and you should take more pride in that." It takes all that she has to not throttle the damn boy. He believes that she should be more dignified, less violent, more regal, that she shouldn't hang out with Ichimaru anymore. Out of spite, which really does seem to be the only thing driving her these days, she seeks Ichimaru out for the first time ever, trading sweets and a couple lunches for his "help" with her homework, not that she needs it.

It comes to an explosive end when the bratty prince decides that, since his "peaceful" methods aren't working and she isn't being "cooperative," he must take the matter to Kasumi, and tells the woman about how her daughter is becoming suspiciously close to a Rukongai orphan.

Kyouka is grounded for a month, not allowed to leave the clan compound for anything but official visits and school. Kasumi arranges for lessons in koto, in traditional dance, in calligraphy, and a pile of other topics that she had allowed Kyouka to get away with not being proficient in before, in order to keep her busy. Failure to meet her tutors' unreasonably high standards result in missed meals. She goes hungry most days. She suspects the only reason corporal punishment isn't involved is because that would require actual effort on Kasumi's end, though it doesn't stop her from being hit with all manner of sticks and fans by her tutors. They avoid her face, which is a small blessing.

Akatsuki sneaks her meals when he can, but Kasumi is not a total fool and keeps him busy as well, having him take on more and more duties as future clan head with the approval of Murakumo.

Hilariously enough, she and Ichimaru grow closer as a result of the entire debacle. They can't be seen together just the two of them in public anymore, but that's never stopped Ichimaru and Kyouka has long learned how to be sneaky to get by. Both of them are beings that run half on food and half on spite, and they spend more time together than ever. Ichimaru even offers to play some nasty pranks on Kasumi and Byakuya, but it isn't worth the risk of trying to sneak into their heavily fortified houses.

Byakuya visits after her month of house arrest is up, puffed up and proud. Having discussed with Akatsuki beforehand and gotten his approval, Kyouka straight-up ignores him. After all, officially, he's here to see Akatsuki, not her. She leaves the room, ignoring his protests.

"Have I done something to anger her?" Byakuya asks, helplessly confused.

"You'll have to ask her about that," Akatsuki replies, sipping his tea.

"But she doesn't seem like she'll listen."

"Yes," Akatsuki agrees. "It's certainly difficult when someone decides on something for you without considering how you feel about it, isn't it?"

* * *

In the end, though it does take a couple days, Byakuya does manage to figure out why she refuses to talk to him. Or, more likely, he went to his parents, who explained what he did wrong.

"I-I'm sorry," Byakuya says hesitantly, having cornered her in the garden with no escape route. "I didn't mean to force my opinions and feelings onto you."

"It is not my place to correct Byakuya-sama," Kyouka replies stiffly, eyes darting to the side. Now that he has verbally expressed a desire to apologize, she will be the one socially in the wrong should she refuse. He doesn't realize it, but he's doing the exact same thing he's apologizing for doing. She's long used to having to just give in and accept it when clan and high society politics are involved, though.

Akatsuki, her guardian angel, shows up and swipes Byakuya off his feet, knocking him into the koi pond. The servants, the only witnesses, giggle and leave obligingly when Akatsuki waves them away.

"You're an idiot," he informs the Kuchiki heir, saying what Kyouka is not permitted to say (though it is still barely permissible even coming from Akatsuki instead of her), "and you're forcing your feelings onto her _again_." 

"But- but I was apologizing," Byakuya sputters. 

Akatsuki rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "You're the first person that should know that just apologizing won't fix everything. Nee-sama nearly starved for a month because of you-" which is a gross exaggeration considering there are actually people starving in Rukongai right this instant, but Akatsuki isn't perfect- "she's allowed to be mad even if you apologize. But regardless, the point is that you want to be forgiven, so you were forcing her to forgive you when she didn't want to. And don't you dare tell me that you weren't taught all about what happens when a higher ranked person apologizes to a lower ranked one."

"I didn't _mean_ for all that to happen," Byakuya snaps hotly, face flushed in embarrassment and indignation.

Akatsuki raises an eyebrow. "So Nee-sama is to blame for _your_ lack of oversight?"

Byakuya winces. "I…"

"Go home, Byakuya-sama," Akatsuki says firmly. "And leave Nee-sama alone for a while. Take some time to consider putting into practice what you always say about a noble's duty to those they protect." He pauses, then adds, "and fix up your expression. If you go home moping and word gets out, it'll be Nee-sama that gets blamed again. People are already speculating things about you and her. Unless you want that?"

It's a touch cruel even for Akatsuki, but Kyouka has never been nice at heart and all she can feel is warmth from seeing Akatsuki looking out for her.

Really, though. From what she can see, Byakuya loves to talk about the duty of a noble and the honor involved, but he doesn't put in half the effort and consideration that Akatsuki does in thinking about the full effects of his actions and how they affect others. Byakuya is far too used to getting what he wants and having others cover for his faults. Being rebuffed so harshly will do him some good, though she will admit that she is hesitant to find out how Ginrei-dono will react to all of this.

* * *

As it turns out, she doesn't find out for a while, because shortly afterwards Kuchiki Soujun is killed by a hollow while out on a subjugation mission. Izana falls sick from grief at the worst time, right in the middle of winter, and after a short but fierce battle with a particularly virulent strain of flu that has even Akatsuki bedridden for a few days, passes away. Byakuya loses both of his beloved parents within the same month and frosts over, quickly transforming into something reassembling the stoic and aloof character Kyouka remembers.

She will admit to feeling just a little guilty at being relieved when their interactions become heavily scripted and he stops visiting entirely, meaning his awkward attempts to apologize also stop. He'd been exhausting and she hadn't wanted to deal with him. She got her wish. She just wishes now that it hadn't come at the cost of his parents. For nobles, they were virtuous and empathetic.

Ginrei takes her to one side at the funeral for a chat, away from prying eyes. "They say it is ill manners to speak of the dead," he murmurs gently, "nevertheless, as Soujun and Izana are no longer here, I shall apologize on their behalf. It was their lack of discipline with Byakuya that led to him meddling in your affairs. Byakuya has been held accountable, but his parents never will be. I ask that you forgive them, and I ask that you forgive me, for saying this in my position."

Kyouka swallows and bows. "Your kindness is wasted on me, Kuchiki-dono," she replies. "The past need not shadow the future." Her left pinky, shattered by an iron fan during a koto class, still aches when the weather turns stormy. What does he expect her to say? There is nothing else she can do but bow and accept his "generosity."

Ginrei observes her for several nerve-wracking moments. "You are wise beyond your years. I am saddened that you were forced to grow up so quickly; nonetheless, you do us nobles proud, young Oborozuki. If nothing else, I will ensure that Byakuya comes to understand the true meaning of duty and responsibility."

Kyouka thinks of a man willing to let his living sister, the younger sister of his most beloved wife, die an unjust execution to uphold the honor of the dead. "Of course, Kuchiki-dono."

Perhaps he can hear the lack of faith in her words. He gives her a surprisingly openly sad smile and dismisses her.

* * *

Spring arrives, and graduation along with it - for Ichimaru, not for her. Perhaps fearing her in his class now that Ichimaru is no longer there to distract her, the zanjutsu sensei appeals to have her test early for her zanjutsu exams so that she may be excused from them for the next year. She passes, of course.

She doesn't attend the graduation ceremony, but she does arrange to have a simple bouquet and a pack of dried persimmon delivered to his dorm before the move-out date, along with a letter saying "stay out of trouble". She receives a cloth bundle of konpeito in return, delivered by a shaking classmate, much to her amusement.

Meanwhile, Kyouka herself is moved up to first class much to her dismay, due to some students in the prior year failing out of first class resulting in a handful of promotions. Her performance as a high ranked second class student had been considered acceptable, but now that she's in first class she won't be allowed to drop back down lest she suffer Kasumi's wrath.

That's troublesome, because fourth year first class means _field trips._

Kyouka doesn't want to visit the human world. It will be too much for her, seeing what she left behind, right in front of her, but unable to really go to that world. She knows it's not the same world as the one she remembers, but compared to Soul Society, it's practically home.

She contemplates everything from faking an illness (it won't work, the family healer is in Kasumi's pocket) to throwing caution to the wind and failing down a class (Kasumi's punishment will not hurt more than seeing the human world will).

It's Ichimaru of all people that convinces her to go.

"Why, is the itty bitty noble scared of the big bad world? Grew up in a fancy golden cage and now that the door's open, she's too scared to step outside?" Ichimaru grins when she looks away, unable to meet his eyes. It's not as he says, but it's close enough.

Seireitei is not comfortable or nice or even really all that safe considering who she knows is hiding in its literal shadows, but it's become familiar. She doesn't want to disrupt the carefully carved out little corner of her world that she's created for herself.

"What was it like for you, arriving in Seireitei for the first time?" She asks quietly.

Ichimaru's eyes open a sliver to focus on her in a rather unsettling way, but it's not the first time she's been under his scrutiny. She continues to do her kido homework and lets him stare to his heart's content. He'll answer or he won't, bothering him won't be of any use.

"Like a nightmare, I guess, shiny teeth all dressed up, but no waking up allowed." He leaves her to puzzle out what he means from that.

She thinks she might understand the last part, though. _No waking up allowed._ It's the same for her too. At the start, she'd dreamed of waking up with all of this being just a long, bizarre dream. She'd stopped after waking up began to hurt.

Perhaps it's time to widen the limits of her world.

* * *

More troubles land her way before she can think too hard about the field trips. Clan head Murakumo's wife, Kyouka's grandmother Oboro and announces that she'll be taking over Kyouka's education as a noble lady and Kyouka's visions of evenings spent relaxing on the engawa with slices of watermelon die a horrible death.

"Kasumi has been far too remiss with your education," Oboro says firmly. "Starting immediately, we shall correct that. Your tea ceremony skills are adequate considering the training you received and your performance last year, according to Ginrei, but you were not the lead host. And your calligraphy is atrocious."

Kyouka just barely refrains from making a face. Brushes are terrible. Maybe she'll look forward to that field trip after all, if just to be able to steal a couple pens to bring back. There are rumours of Hikifune Kirio applying to join the Zero Squad so the 12th division should become a research and development center shortly. Perhaps they can reverse engineer something?

Kyouka's free time becomes weighed down by the additional lessons Oboro now demands, though to the woman's credit she sits in on each lesson so that the tutors cannot whisper lies to her about Kyouka's supposed incompetence. Oboro has no time and no patience for such nonsense.

"True amazing it is, your sudden improvement," Oboro says, voice as dry as sandpaper after listening to her koto performance that the tutor had previously reported she had no talent for (she's no prodigy but she isn't nearly as bad as Akatsuki who is tone deaf, thank you very much). Kyouka thinks that if not for the extra lessons clearly intended to make her into a more desirable bride she might like the old woman. Oboro is demanding and unrelenting but far more fair than Kasumi ever was.

If there's one lesson that she actively enjoys, though, it's weaving. Embroidery is far too detailed oriented for her liking but weaving strikes a good balance. Setting up the loom is an entire chore and half by itself, but operating the loom is strangely soothing, the rhythmic clack of wood, the slide of the shuttle across the weft and the shifting strands all incredibly pleasing to her senses. She loses herself to the process, the one lesson she wishes would last longer.

If she wasn't a bastard daughter she would most certainly not have been permitted to learn weaving, considered too much of a commoner's job for a princess, but she gets a pass.

There's also a very exclusive market for products made by non-commoners like herself, artisans of noble lineage. Cloth products in particular that are not embroidered handkerchiefs (the extent of most noblewomen's arts and crafts endeavors) are of low supply and thus high demand due to the very low amount of noble women allowed to pursue the craft without it being seen as lowering oneself to doing commoner work.

The line between being a product to be purchased and being a work of art to be commissioned is as thin as embroidery floss. In other words, Oboro is most certainly leveraging her weird position in the social hierarchy to her utmost advantage and Kyouka would be impressed if she wasn't the one suffering for it.

At least Oboro allows her to drop embroidery. She doesn't hate it necessarily all things considered, but she stabbed herself about thirty times during her first lesson and the white silk had been ruined from all the blood on it. Oboro had deemed it a waste of time and materials to continue any further and in this, Kyouka does not let her spite get the better of her. Two fingers are still wrapped in bandages as a convenient reminder.

Between school and lessons, she quickly forgets about everything else. On Oboro's order, she joins the family for dinners now, but with Oboro now invested in her the woman doesn't let her daughter run her mouth anymore, which makes mealtime far more bearable.

* * *

Summer passes and moves into fall, the date of the field trip closing in on her, but for once her mind isn't on that.

She supposes in hindsight she should have seen it coming. Oboro's lessons and sudden interest in her despite not caring about her previously. Akatsuki's workload increasing should have been another hint.

Should Murakumo pass away before Akatsuki can take over as clan head, there will be an inner-clan civil war fought over who becomes the new leader, each faction with their own agendas and puppets they want to install.

Shinonome is not qualified due to not having Oborozuki blood. Kasumi is technically disgraced within the clan but could argue to be installed as dowager clan matriarch due to being Akatsuki's mother. Akatsuki is too young. Hilariously enough, it's Kyouka that has the biggest claim on technicality. She's only half Oborozuki but her red eyes make her eligible to stand in as head, and as her disgrace is from her lineage and not her own actions, she beats out Kasumi in that aspect. The woman's only advantage is being Akatsuki's mother.

It is, quite obviously, a situation everyone wants to avoid, Kyouka herself most of all.

Even so, she had failed to anticipate that Oboro would chose _this_ method of removing her from the running.

"Congratulations, Kyouka," Oboro says smugly, reminding Kyouka of a cat playing around with prey that cannot run away. "You are now a prospective engagement partner for Kuchiki Byakuya."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only did basic research on tea ceremonies, apologies if I got something wrong. I did purposefully skip some steps, they still happened but just weren't mentioned. They're pretty cool to read about but I'd go stir-crazy if I had to attend or host one. Major kudos to people who can do it.
> 
> I feel like I make Byakuya suffer a lot in my fics. I promise I do actually love him, just… Once he actually starts showing that he cares for Rukia and being less of an ass. I do love the development he got.
> 
> I've got a midgame in mind for this but no endgame and TPoSI is my main priority so I can't say when this will be updated next, but I do have plans for it :3c
> 
> 08/02/2020 First Post


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